Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) has been under fire for most of the season. / Howard Smith, US Presswire

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - With a three-game losing streak, coach Andy Reid on the hot seat and an added boost of drama linked to the possibility of quarterback Michael Vick getting benched, you knew it had to be coming: The Philadelphia Eagles held a players-only meeting.

That's what teams do when they get in a funk, and Eagles players followed that script on Wednesday amid preparations for Monday night's game at the New Orleans Saints.

Vick, still the starting quarterback, revealed the meeting during a session with reporters at his corner locker on Thursday.

"We had a great team meeting yesterday in which I led it off and about nine or 10 guys stood up and talked," Vick said. "The veterans and leaders of this team. it is very productive for us and we keep those conversations private, but at the same time I think we all have to reevaluate our situations, look ourselves in the mirror and (figure out) what we can do better individually and collectively."

Why the meeting?

"I think our situation would be the explanation for it," said defensive end Jason Babin.

Why convene behind closed doors?

"I think our situation would be the explanation for it," defensive end Jason Babin said.

Babin said the meeting allowed players to get a few things off their chests. The Eagles (3-4) need a quick turnaround to salvage a season that has turned into a disaster.

Vick, who has committed 13 turnovers this season, has been under increasing scrutiny. It went up a notch after Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons when Vick said he would accept a benching if Reid decided to switch to rookie quarterback Nick Foles.

Reid downplayed questions about Vick's status, declaring Thursday that the quarterback's starting job is not in jeopardy and that he had never considered a switch. The story, however, festered for days in the City of Brotherly Love as Reid didn't clarify his position until releasing a statement Wednesday night.

"He is the leader of this football team," Reid said Thursday.

Reid and Vick insisted that Vick's comments intimating that the coach was considering a switch came in response to a question in the quarterback's postgame news conference Sunday. Reid said the question relayed to Vick was factually incorrect as it indicated that Reid was "evaluating" whether to make a switch at the position.

Even if you buy the notion that this was essentially an exercise in miscommunication, it still doesn't explain why it took so long for Reid to announce Vick's status. Reid maintained that chaos linked to the anticipation of Hurricane Sandy was a reason for his delayed comment - although there were hours of relative calm during the day Monday before the storm hit that night, which would have allowed Reid to make a statement.

With the players-only meeting, another type of statement has been issued. The Eagles are frustrated and tired of losing.